The plan to add a sixth potline is subject to a feasibility
study and government approvals, according to a company statement
today. Work on the study will start by the end of this year.

The company, also known as Alba, plans to add the potline
to produce 400,000 metric tons a year, boosting total capacity
by about 30 percent to 1.3 million tons, Chief Executive Officer
Laurent Schmitt said in an interview in June. Aluminum prices
have declined 33 percent from a high of $2,803 a ton in May last
year and traded at $1,865.75 in London today.

Alba is among Middle East producers able to rely on cheap
energy to buck a global trend of shrinking output of the metal.
Emirates Aluminium Co. plans to invest $4.5 billion to expand
its capacity to 1.4 million tons a year by 2014, while Saudi
Arabian Mining Co. (MAADEN)’s $10.8 billion venture with Alcoa Inc.
includes building a 740,000 ton-a-year smelter by 2013.

Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Co., the country’s sovereign
wealth fund, plans to invest in new aluminum plants, Alayam
reported yesterday, citing Chief Executive Officer Mahmood Al
Kooheji, who is also the chairman of Alba. The fund owns 69.4
percent of Alba, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.